Sliding panel roller assembly

ABSTRACT

A roller assembly for sliding panels having a U-shaped frame with one leg portion being longer and in spaced relation to the other, and a roller carrying arm portion pivoted adjacent to the shorter leg portion and releasably held at its other end by a latch at the free end of the longer leg portion. A first coil spring yieldingly urging the arm to remain on the latch and a second coil spring yieldingly urges the arm to swing in a direction away from the longer leg portion and a bolt threaded in a bore on the longer leg portion engages the arm whereby upon threading the bolt, the arm is released from the latch.

Elite States aten Schoenbrod SLIDING PANEL ROLLER ASSEMBLY Michael P.Schoenbrod, Miami, Fla.

lnventor:

US. Cl. ..16/9l, 16/97, 49/420 Int. Cl. ..E05d 13/02 Field of Search16/91, 97; 49/420, 425

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 5/1963 I Banner ..49/420 9/ 1970Saunders ..49/420 9/ 1972 Schoenbrodm. ..42/42O X PrimaryExaminerl(enneth Downey AttorneySalvatore G. Militana ABSTRACT A rollerassembly for sliding panels having a U-shaped frame with one leg portionbeing longer and in spaced relation to the other, and a roller carryingarm portion pivoted adjacent to the shorter leg portion and releasablyheld at its other end by a latch at the free end of the longer legportion. A first coil spring yieldingly urging the arm to remain on thelatch and a second coil spring yieldingly urges the arm to swing in adirection away from the longer leg portion and a bolt threaded in a boreon the longer leg portion engages the arm whereby upon threading thebolt, the arm is released from the latch.

2 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures PATENTEDHAR271075 .723302 IN VE N 70/?MICHAEL E SCHOENBROD /,Z,;5; ,&

ATTORNEY SLIDING PANEL ROLLER ASSEMBLY CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATEDAPPLICATION This invention is an improvement over the described andclaimed in my application Ser. No. 100,326, filed on Dec. 21, 1970, forRoller Assembly For Sliding Panels now U.S. Pat. No. 3,688,340.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION l. Field of the Invention This inventionrelates generally to rollers and is more particularly directed to rollerassemblies for sliding panels.

2. Description of the Prior Art The prior art includes the followingprior patents: U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,090,084; 3,283,444 and 3,526,995.

Some of the advantages thatthe present invention has over these priorpatents is as follows:

These roller assemblies either are complicated in structure requiringcorner brackets or the springs mounted therein functions both as atensioning member as well as a support member forthe roller. In thelatter instance, although the roller assembly are simple inconstruction, the entire roller assembly has to be replaced when thespring loses its spring effect or becomes fractured. In those rollerassemblies that are complicated, the cost per unit is high and a longertime is used to mount the roller assemblies in the sliding panel.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In accordance with the present invention thereis provided a roller assembly for sliding panels which is simple inconstruction and is readily mounted in position on the panel without thenecessity of special tools.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a single rollerassembly for the upper and lower rollers of a sliding panel wherein theupper rollers are yieldingly maintained on the upper track while athreaded bolt extending through a bore in the panel frame supports theweight of the panels directly on the lower rollers.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a rollerassembly with a roller carrying arm normally in a latched and retractedposition, wherein the roller and arm are released upon the threading ofa bolt in the direction of the roller carry arm.

With these and other objects in view, the invention will be bestunderstood from a consideration of the following detailed descriptiontaken in connection with the accompanying drawing forming a part of thisspecification, with the understanding, however, that the invention isnot confined to any strict conformity with the showing of the drawingbut may be changed or modified so long as such changes or modificationsmark no material departure from the salient features of the invention asexpressed in the appended claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIG. 3 is a cross sectional view takenalong the longitudinal centerline of the roller assembly with the rollerassembly in its released position.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the roller assembly.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT in position by a bolt 15 thatextends through a threaded opening 16 in the inner wall 17 of the frame14.

All of the roller assemblies 10 are identical in construction consistingof a U-shaped frame -F-having leg portions 21 and 22 joined at one endby a web portion 23, the leg portion 21 being longer than that of theleg portion 22. Extending between the leg portions 21 and 22 is a rivettype pin 27 received through an enlarged opening 25 on a roller carryingarm 26 with a coil spring 24 mounted on the pin 24 and extending betweenthe leg 21 and the pivoted arm 26.

At one end of the pivoted arm 26 there is provided a pair of spaceddepending flanges 28 forming a support for a roller 30 rotatably mountedthereon by a pin 31. The other end of the arm 26 is reduced in width asat 32 to be received by an opening 33 in the web portion 23 and to forma shoulder 34 on the arm 26. Mounted on the reduced end portion 32 andextending between the shoulder 34 and the inner surface of the webportion 23 is a coil spring 35.

At the free end of the leg portion 21 is a spring latch or catch 36having a shoulder 37 that engages the free end of the arm 26 when thearm 26 has been pivoted upwardly to its retracted position as shown byFIGS. 2 and 4. The arm 26 is released by the bolt 15 that is threadedinto a threaded opening 39 in the arm 21, the free end of the bolt 15normally engaging the arm 26 when the roller assembly 10 is in itsretracted position when the spring catch 36 is in engagement with thefree end of the arm 26. It is to be noted that either of the bores 16and 39 may be threaded or both bores 16 and 39 may be threaded. If themetal of the leg portion 21 is thin, then the bore 16 must be threaded.The coil spring 35 yieldingly urges the arm 26 to slide in a directionaway from the web portion 23 to maintain the free end of the arm portionengaged with the shoulder 37 of the latch 36.

In the normal use of my roller assembly 10, the roller support arm 26 ispivoted to its retracted position against the coil spring pressure 27,as shown by FIG. 2 and held there by the latch 36 that engages the freeend of the roller support arm 26. The bolt 15 is unthreaded and removedfrom the leg portion 21 permitting thenow boltless roller assembly 10 tobe placed in position within the frame members 14 with the bores 16 and39 aligned and the leg portion 21 in contact relation with the innersurface of the inner wall 17 of the frame 14. The bolt 15 is thenthreaded into the threaded bores 16 and 38 and stopped when the bolt 15engages the roller support arm 26 of the two roller assemblies mountedon the lower edge of the panel 11. As to the two roller assemblies 10mounted on the upper edge of the panel 11, the bolt is continued to bethreaded causing the end of the roller support arm 26 to becomedisengaged from the latch 36. The coil spring 24 now yieldingly forcesthe roller arm 26 to swing away from the leg portion 21 about its pivotsupport 32 until it engages the leg portion 22 and assumes a positionparallel with the leg portion 21 as shown by FIG. 3.

Now, the sliding door panel 11 is ready to be placed between the rails12 and 13. The upper rollers 30 are first made to engage the rail 21 andthen the entire panel 1 1 is forced upwardly against the coil springpressure 27 of the upper roller assemblies 10 until the lower edge ofthe panel 1 1 clears the lower rail 13. When the rollers 30 of the lowerroller assemblies 10 are aligned with the rail 13, the panel 11 islowered until the rollers 30 engage the lower rail 13. Due to therollers 30 of the upper roller assemblies 10 being under the influenceof their respective coil springs 30, those rollers 30 will remainengaged to the upper rail 12. Now, the bolts 15 of the frame and railsl2, l3.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the UnitedStates is:

l. A roller assembly for sliding panels comprising a U-shaped framemember having one leg portion substantially longer than the other legportion and a web portion joining said leg portions, an arm portion,pivoting means mounting one end of said arm to said web portion adjacentsaid shorter leg portion, spring means mounted on said one end of saidarm portion yieldingly urging said arm portion in the direction awayfrom said web portion, said arm portion having an opening, a pinreceived by said opening and extending between said leg portions, a coilspring mounted on said pin and extending between said longer leg portionand said arm portion, a spring catch having a shoulder mounted on thefree end of said longer leg portion being normally engaged by the freeend of said arm portion, a roller rotatably mounted adjacent the freeend of said arm portion, said roller extending beyond a plane passingalong said shorter leg portion, said longer leg portion having athreaded bore in substantial alignment with said roller and a boltthreaded insaid bore and engaging said arm portion whereby upon thethreading of said bolt in said bore, said arm will be released from saidlatch and swing under the influence of said coil spring on said pin inthe direction of said shorter leg of lower roller assemblies 10 whoserollers 23 are supthe spring pressure27 until the lower edge of thepanel 1 1 clears the rail 13 and then swing the panel outwardly portion.

1. A roller assembly for sliding panels comprising a U-shaped framemember having one leg portion substantially longer than the other legportion and a web portion joining said leg portions, an arm portion,pivoting means mounting one end of said arm to said web portion adjacentsaid shorter leg portion, spring means mounted on said one end of saidarm portion yieldingly urging said arm portion in the direction awayfrom said web portion, said arm portion having an opening, a pinreceived by said opening and extending between said leg portions, a coilspring mounted on said pin and extending between said longer leg portionand said arm portion, a spring catch having a shoulder mounted on thefree end of said longer leg portion being normally engaged by the freeend of said arm portion, a roller rotatably mounted adjacent the freeend of said arm portion, said roller extending beyond a plane passingalong said shorter leg portion, said longer leg portion having athreaded bore in substantial alignment with said roller and a boltthreaded in said bore and engaging said arm portion whereby upon thethreading of said bolt in said bore, said arm will be released from saidlatch and swing under the influence of said coil spring on said pin inthe direction of said shorter leg portion.
 2. The structure as recitedby claim 1 wherein said arm pivot means comprises an opening in said webportion receiving said one end of said arm portion, said arm portionhaving a shoulder adjacent said one end thereof and a coil springmounted on said one end of said arm portion and extending between saidshoulder and said web portion yieldingly urging said arm portion in thedirection away from said web portion.